Surgeons removed the lower lobe of the 71-year-old pontiff’s right lung during a surgical procedure at Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Tuesday, Oct. 13, according to a statement from Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora, the Vatican’s Holy See Press Office said.
The lung adenocarcinoma diagnosis was confirmed by examining tissue during the operation, according to the Vatican.
“The Pope was in the operating room approximately three hours, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes,” their statement read. “The doctors said it was successful and there were no complications.”
Officials continued, “Pope Leo awoke normally after surgery and, following a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor.”
Harvard University noted that lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, “occurs when abnormal lung cells multiply out of control and form a tumor. Eventually, tumor cells can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.”
The Vatican has canceled all of the pontiff’s audiences through Tuesday, Oct. 20, the Associated Press reported. However, his treatment plan and next steps were not immediately made clear.
The pope had been expected to spend about a week recovering in the hospital, according to The New York Times.
Before Leo’s operation, oncologists noted that even if the nodule turned out to be cancerous, his prognosis is “excellent” given it would be removed at an early stage, according to the AP.
Previously, Pope Leo revealed that doctors had advised the surgical intervention while speaking at his weekly blessing and prayer in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Oct. 11, The New York Times reported.
In his announcement, the pope said a “very early-stage and well-localized” nodule had been detected during recent medical tests.
This is the first hospitalization for Leo since he was named pontiff in May 2025.
Lung nodules are “a round area that is more dense than normal lung tissue” that appear on chest x-rays or CT scans, according to the American Thoracic Society.
It is unclear what may have caused the nodule on the pope’s lung.
Nodules are found in up to half of adults who get a chest x-ray or CT scan, the American Thoracic Society said.
Though nodules can have a variety of causes, fewer than 5% of nodules result in a cancer diagnosis, the organization added.
“In general, small nodules don’t cause any noticeable problems,” their website read. “They’re too small to cause pain or breathing problems.”
TNAM
